Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A lioness was admitted for treatment at Jasadhar Animal care centre on 31-05-2008 from Mandvi Bit. She was about 15 years old. Dr. Vadher tried his best but could not succeed to save the lioness. Postmortem was done.

It was a tough time for forest officials chasing a leopard right in the heart of the city! In an unprecedented incident, a leopard, which was caged on Saturday from Krishnagar area, escaped through the rusted roof of the cage. The leopard was seen on Sunday, at Arjan Chavda's house in the Khadva area. About 3,000 people reached the area to get a glimpse of the spotted trouble. After a six hour operation, the animal was caged again at 6 pm by forest officials.

Last year in due to flash floods in Shetrunji River two lions had died due to drawning. As a precaution this year, forest department is doing worth appreciating job to re – locate lions living near Riverside area. In last fifteen days they have moved a lioness with two cubs from Kankrach area and a lioness with three cubs in Savakundla area to jasadhar animal care centre. They will be further released in Sasan forest area.

A lioness was admitted for treatment at Jasadhar Animal care centre on 31-05-2008 from Mandvi Bit. She was about 15 years old. Dr. Vadher tried his best but could not succeed to save the lioness. Postmortem was done.

A leopard reportedly entered a thickly populated locality in the Veraval city centre and spread panic.

According to reports, the full-grown leopard was first spotted on the outskirts of the city. It later reappeared on the terrace of a house in the Khadkhad area and then at a house in the Krishna Nagar Society.

The news of the animal’s entry into the city spread like wild fire and people soon gathered at the site. The police immediately rushed to the spot to control the situation.

VeravalRangeForest officials rushed to the spot, along with a tranquilliser gun procured from the Sasan Gir forest headquarters and after an hour’s exercise, tranquillised and caged the big cat. Later the animal was shifted to Sasan.

Incidentally, this is the first time in the history of Veraval that a leopard has entered the city. Officials said the leopard might have come from the adjoining Gir Forests.

Bhavnagar: The forest department is working overtime under an action plan to ensure that lions and neelgais are out of reach from the threat of anthrax.

To prevent the lions from entering anthrax-prone areas around Bagdana village, forest officials on Thursday burnt garbage on the periphery of Gebar forest. Many forest officials teams are routinely patrolling the interiors of Sawarkundla, Mahuva, Palitana and Talala forest ranges, which are in close proximity to Bagdana.

The teams are also ensuring that neelgais, the main prey of lions in the forest, don't enter villages in these areas. Concerned about the safety of lions after the outbreak of anthrax in Bagdana village, forest department authorities in Gandhinagar issued orders to protect lions from getting infected. Officials felt the need to take precautionary steps when lions attacked some cattle a few days ago in the area, sources said.

"An action plan has been devised and forest teams are keeping a 24-hour watch in the jungles. These teams will ensure that lions or other wild animals don't enter Bagdana area. If any sign of the disease is found in any of the wild animals, immediate action will be taken," Pradeep Khanna, secretary, forest department, (wild-life), Gandhinagar, said.

Forest department sources said that at least 30 officials burnt plastics and tyres on Thursday on the border of Gebar forest range, three km from Bagdana. "Burnt matter prevents animals from crossing over and entering into another region. This will keep wild animals away from the anthrax-prone area of Bagdana," said a department official.

The post mortem report of a dead animal last Friday in Bagdana village confirmed that it had of died of anthrax infection. In all, eight animals have died due to anthrax within a week.

Officials from various departments and medical teams were rushed to the spot after the outbreak of anthrax and vaccinated cattle and administered doses of antibiotic to villagers. Currently, the situation is reported to be under control in the village.

Junagadh : In a bizarre incident, a pair of pythons entwined while mating fell into a dry open well in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, on outskirts of Trambakpur village of Dalkhaniya range, some three days ago, department officials said.

The male python survived and was pulled out of the well by forest department staff and was released into the wild. While, female python fell and died in the well, on Thursday evening. Both the reptiles were six-feet long.

"The entangled pythons were so engrossed in the act that they crawled at the edge of the well and fell in. the near by farmers who witnessed the incident informed the department that swung into action and saved the male python," said Gir (east) deputy conservator of forest Manishwar Raja.

While the female python had died partly of her injuries and hunger, the male escaped unhurt and was in sound condition. The monsoon heralds mating season for animals in Gir and snakes are no exception to it," said Raja. The forest department also conducted the post-mortem of the deceased python.

Last week's anthrax incident that took a toll on at least eight cattle-heads in Bagdana village of Bhavnagar district has put the forest officials on a high alert, forcing them to take preventive measures to protect the Asiatic Gir lion from the dreaded cattle disease.

In a related development, the state Animal Husbandry Department has requisitioned 1,500 anti-anthrax vaccines that are being dispatched to Bagdana village where veterinary doctors attached to the epidemic cell of the department have launched a concerted drive to quarantine the cattle. Last week, anthrax had claimed the lives of five cows and three buffaloes in the village.

"Following the outbreak of anthrax in Bagdana, we have started taking several preventive measures in the vicinity of the affected villages to protect the Asiatic lion. Water holes are being disinfected, the grazing areas are being burnt to drive away the Big Cats from the disease-hit areas," PCCF (Wildlife) Pradeep Khanna told The Indian Express on Thursday.

Khanna said his department had also formed several teams comprising foresters, beat guards and officers that have fanned out in the nearby Gebar forest areas to monitor the movement of Gir lions and other wildlife. Local villagers are also assisting these teams to take preventive measures initiated by the forest department. "We have to ensure that lions do not occupy the peripheral region surrounding the anthrax-hit village," he said, adding that wild animals were often found occupying the grasslands in Palitana and Mahuva talukas of Bhavnagar in search of prey.

Conservator of Forest (Junagadh Circle) M M Sharma said on phone that the teams formed by the department have been constantly tracking the Asiatic lions in the region to keep away the animals from the vicinity of anthrax-hit villages. "At present, the lions occupy areas 12 kms from Bagdana. We have to also ensure that the Big Cats do not prey on local cattle or feed on carcass," said the forest official.

As per the latest census, the total population of Asiatic lions in pegged at 359. They are usually found occupying the forest area (Gir) of Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts. Besides, there is large population of other wild animals like leopards, jungle cats, blue bulls and jackals in these forest areas. "The Bagdana village is about 200 kms from the world famous Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, and anthrax is localized. So, there is a remote possibility of the fatal cattle disease hitting the lions in the sanctuary. However, we are not taking any chances in the forest area of Bhavnagar district where Bagdana is located,"said the wildlife official.

As a precaution against genetic bottle neck, three gene pools for pure breed Asiatic Lions are being created in Gujarat. One of them is at Rampara vidi near Wankaner in Rajkot district.

Total six cages, each of half Hectar in size, are planned. Out of these three cages are ready in which three Asiatic Lion pairs will be housed soon. Also one more cage of one Ha is built for spotted deer, chital, sabar etc.

Between two lion cages there is an 4 feet wide passage. Each lion cage will have an night – shelter home for the animals. Below this shelter, there will be one under ground room. This is built to provide calm and cool place for lioness at the time of cubs' delivery.

In a strange incidence that happened at Rangpar village near Verawal (Gir W), a Leopard entered the house of Ajit Kachra Jadav. Silently it slept under the bed. When it roared in the morning, house owners realized its presence. They closed the door and informed Forest Dept. Later it was captured.

Junagadh, June 16 Forest Department officials have arrested two persons for killing a pair of partridges. Besides, they have also levied a fine of Rs 45,000 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, on the two. The said amount will be kept as a deposit with the Forest Department till their case is heard and disposed off by senior forest officials.

Assistant Conservator of Forest (Gir east) J S Solanki said the accused have deposited the money against their release.

The Range Forest Officer (Savarkundla range) had arrested Ghanshyam Koli and Viram Koli, residents of Vijapadi village in Savarkundla taluka, on Monday on the outskirts of Vijapadi village, following a tip-off.

The foresters recovered two partridge carcasses from their possession. Partridge is protected under the schedule-4 category and killing them is an offence liable to fine.

Solanki said the case will be tabled before the Deputy Conservator of Forest (Gir east). "The deposited sum might be slapped as fine. The official has the power to reduce or increase the said amount," he said.

Incidentally, the poaching of birds, particularly partridges, is considered a common practice in the region. This might, however, be a first case registered so far for poaching of these birds, said sources.

Ahmedabad: Lion conservation programme got yet another boost when the Lions Club International District pitched in to save the lions and to barricade the open wells, posing a major threat to the king of the jungle.

The meeting held on Sunday, saw a whelming support for the programme, when 51 individual members of the Lions Club decided to sponsor each well.

Kishore Kotecha of Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) said that the open well programme was taken up during the meeting. This was then taken up as a programme by the district governor Mona Sheth.

Sheth presented the open well programmes to presidents, secretaries and treasurers of various lion clubs and appealed them to actively take up the programme. Kotecha claimed that the biggest surprise was that as soon as she made the appeal, members started raising their hands and announced and funds for about 51 wells were committed on the spot.

Kotecha said the good news is that Rajkot Builders Association has committed to fund for barricading 33 open wells. He added that the target of forest department is to barricade 4,000 wells this year and 4,000 next year. Out of this WCT plans to cover 1,000 wells this year through such public participation. Due to open wells about 28 lions died after they fell in the wells Kotecha claimed that. Corporates had expressed their willingness to cover the open well which posed major threat to the lions. Officials said that there were nearly 9000 open wells which were to be covered with a parapet wall and government will contribute a share of Rs 4,000 per well.

She Was Carried away by the wild cat while she was sleeping with her parents outside their house

Rajkot : For a two-year-old, the fragile-framed Lakhi has the fortitude that could be envy of any man. Even after being carried away by a leopard early on Thursday morning, this Koli girl came alive from the jaws of death.

A lurking female leopard carried away Lakhi, daughter of Bhima Koli when she was sleeping by her parent's side outside their house in Navagam village.

However, Lakhi was saved by her parents and villagers who chased the big cat. That is undeniably a rebirth for her, who has shown tremendous courage to endure the pain and trauma. Lakhi has suffered serious injuries and is currently under medical surveillance at Junagadh Civil hospital.

People of Navagam have been living under constant fear since the last two months after a family of leopard made its habitat near the farm of one of the residents, Hemantsinh jadeja.

"The forest department had laid traps to catch the leopards sometime ago. But, they couldn't catch the big cats. They have been regularly attacking domestic animals of the village. However, it was for the first time on Thursday that a human being was attacked by leopard," said Gogan Koli, a villager. AR Vaghasia, RFO, Veraval, said that the forest department has been successful in catching the female leopard after its attack on Lakhi.

A lion attacked farm labour Dharmshibhai Babubhai Kodi at about 10 AM. The labour brothers were going for work when incidence happened near Meldi ma temple in Karamdadi Bit (outside WLS) of Dalkhaniya range in Gir East. The victim fell down on the ground and lion mauled him on his waist side. When brother started hue & cry, lion was scared away. The man was then taken to Dhari hospital for treatment

Asiatic Cheetah is extinct from Indian since about 1894. The last one was seen in shetrunji River bed in Bhavnagar district in Gujarat.

Two cheetahs will be brought from Singapore with in short time, report says. In turn a pair of Asiatic lions will be given to them. About 10 years back African Cheetahs were brought to Hyderabad Zoo, but they could not survive.

Junagadh, June 10 Even a week after senior forest officials were assaulted on duty, most of the accused, including Bhaga Barad, Congress MLA from Talala, are still at large. They have reportedly gone underground to avoid arrest.

According to an FIR lodged by Paramar with the Talala police, the accused on June 4 ransacked the forest office, snatched officers’ revolver, and injured them seriously. The police registered the complaint under sections 395 (robbery), 332, 333 (Assaulting official on-duty), and 120 (B) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Fifteen people were named in the FIR, of which four have been arrested. They are in the police custody for the last five days, sources said. The four arrested include Devayat Wadher, Ramshi Vadher, Uka Ahir and Janmohmed Bloch. Uka and Janmohmed are sarpanchs of Pipalawa and Sasan villages respectively.

According to the police, the arrested revealed during interrogation that they took the officers’ weapons with them, and dumped it near the premises of the Sasan-Gir forest headquarter. The guns were recovered by the police the next day. The police had also recovered the vehicles in which the accused came to Sasan, along with the clothes they were wearing at the time of the incident, sources said.

“Longstanding tussle between the forest officials and the accused is the likely reason behind the attack,” said a police official on condition of anonymity. He added: “The officials are still under medical observation. Once they are discharged, an identification parade will be held before them in the presence of the executive magistrate.”

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Talala(Gir) : Two forest officials were seriousla injured in a mob attack allegedly led by local Congress MLA Bhagwanji Barad on Wednesday.

According to the complaint filed by range forest officer Bharatkumar parmar, the mob headed by Barad assaulted him and his colleague assistant conservator of forest Shashikumar K. "The forest officials were assaulted as they had detained and fined six boys of Rs 14,000 each on the charges of roaming in Sasan forest range on Tuesday night, which is prohibited," said a police official.

As the news of boys' detention spread, it enraged locals, who approached Barad for help on Wednesday. "Barad led a mob of locals, including boys' parents belonging to Bharwad and Ahir communities and barged into the forest office and created a havoc,c," the official said.

"in his complaint, Parmar alleged that the mob attacked him and Shashikumar with sticks, inflicting head injuries. The mob also allegedly robbed the officer of their service revolvers before escaping," said the official, adding that Parmar received five stitches, while Shashikumar received three stitches on their heads.

The police have registered case against Barad and the mob under articles 395, 120-B, 504 and 506(2) of the IPC. Meanwhile a counter complaint was filed by a youth Nilesh Bhaga registered against the forest officers of detaining the boys and perpetrating third degree torture on them.

Those listed in Bhaga's complaint as victims include Tabha Kudiyatar(30), Dinesh Kodi (27), Bhikhan Galmar (27), Bharat Kanawala (25), Bogha Dhola (35) and Bhikha Chawla (25). They have been admitted to Talala Hospital with various injuries.

Junagadh, June 5 An FIR has been lodged against Bhaga Barad, the Congress MLA from Talala and 15 others, in a case of assault on senior forest officials on duty at the Sasan (Gir) forest headquarters in Junagadh on Wednesday evening.

The police have arrested one person in this connection but the rest, Barad included, are still at large. Barad is the brother of the Congress MP from Junagadh.

On Tuesday night, a forest patrol arrested five youths from Aambalash village for roaming in the prohibited sanctuary area on motorcycles. The youths were brought to the Sasan Gir forest headquarters and slapped with fines of Rs 14,000.

On Wednesday, Barad and his associates rushed to the headquarters and demanded the youth’s release, besides a waiver of the fine. The foresters refused, which led to a heated argument, culminating with the assault on Assistant Conservator of Forest (Sasan-Gir) Shashi Kumar and Range Forest Officer (Talala range) B K Parmar. One of the assailants even snatched Parmar’s revolver in the melee and escaped, but it was later found lying on the ground.

Investigation Officer and Talala Circle Inspector N R Jadeja, said: “The accused MLA and 14 others have reportedly gone underground and are at large. Investigations are on to nab them. Teams have been dispatched to different places.”

Jadeja said Barad’s arrest is inevitable. “The law will take its own course. Offences registered against the accused are non-bailable,” he said.

Kishore Kotecha’s Comment: What a shameful event to celebrate World Environment Day! Politicians should at least spare forest and its management of its malice motive of crediting vote-bank by un-necessarily interference in forester’s duties.

Most people think of lions as strictly African beasts, but only because they’ve been killed off almost everywhere else. Ten thousand years ago lions spanned vast sections of the globe, and so did people, who—as they multiplied and organized—put pressure on competitors at the top of the food chain. Now lions hold only a small fraction of their former habitat, and Asiatic lions, a subspecies that split from African lions perhaps 100,000 years ago, hang on to an almost impossibly small slice of their former domain.

India is the proud steward of these 300 or so lions, which live primarily in a 560-square-mile (1,450-square-kilometer) sanctuary. It took me a year and a half to get a permit to explore the entire GirForest—and no time at all to see why these lions became symbols of royalty and greatness. A tiger will slink through the forest unseen, but a lion stands its ground, curious and unafraid—lionhearted. Though they told me in subtle ways when I got too close, Gir’s lions allowed me unique glimpses into their lives during my three months in the forest. It’s odd to think that they are threatened by extinction; Gir has as many lions as it can hold—too many, in fact. With territory in short supply, lions prowl the periphery of the forest and even leave it altogether, often clashing with people. That’s one reason India is creating a second sanctuary. There are other pressing reasons: outbreaks of disease or natural disasters. In 1994 canine distemper killed more than a third of Africa’s Serengeti lions—a thousand animals—a fate that could easily befall Gir’s cats. These lions, saved by a prince at the turn of the 20th century, are especially vulnerable to disease because they descend from as few as a dozen individuals. “If you do a DNA fingerprint, Asiatic lions actually look like identical twins,” says Stephen O’Brien, a geneticist who has studied them. Yet the perils are hidden, and you wouldn’t suspect them by watching these lords of the forest. The lions exude vitality, and no small measure of charm.

Though the gentle intimacy of play vanishes when it’s time to eat, meals in Gir are not necessarily frenzied affairs. For a mother and cub sharing a deer, or a young male relishing an antelope, there’s no need to fight for a cut of the kill. Prey animals are generally smaller in Gir than they are in Africa, and hunting groups tend to be smaller as well. The lions themselves aren’t as big as African lions, and they have shorter manes and a long fold of skin on their undersides that many lions in Africa don’t have. . . . . .

Perpetuating the species is no easy work—lions copulate about 500 times for every litter produced. Once a female entices a male to mate, it’s over quickly, and the female may discourage dawdling by growling and clawing at her mate. The process repeats after a brief interlude. Because of the Asiatic lions’ small gene pool, 70 to 80 percent of sperm is deformed—a precarious ratio that can lead to infertility when lions are further inbred in zoos. Adhering to a strict breeding program, European zoos have boosted their Asiatic lion count to almost 60. . . . . .

Traumatized by a lion attack that has killed one of his buffalo and wounded another, a Maldhari boy adds his chapter to the intertwined history shared by Gir’s lions and its people. More than 2,000 Maldharis live within the sanctuary, and their livestock make up a third of the lions’ diet. After severe droughts even attacks on people become common as lions enter villages to find food. Even so, the Maldharis exalt the lion in lore and song, and a cat dashing through a clearing is as likely to evoke joy as fear. The state government of Gujarat has persuaded hundreds of families to leave the sanctuary, but those who remain are reluctant to relocate. . . . . .

Belly full of meat, a lioness laps from a precious creek in a dry teak forest. When it comes time to count Gir’s lions every five years or so, water holes and livestock are the main bait. A recent census found that 40 lions had wandered off the overcrowded sanctuary—a problem since farms and factories surround the park. There are plans to move some of Gir’s lions to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary more than 500 miles away, but finding other suitable homes might be difficult. In populous India protected areas with enough land and prey for large cats are rare. . . . . .

A mother and cub safely ensconced in the forest have no idea of the tenuousness of their birth-right. Greece saw its last lion shortly after the birth of Christ—about five centuries after it minted this coin. The Asiatic lion’s range shrank steadily until the 19th century, when guns all but wiped out the population.

Monday, June 02, 2008

A lioness was caught from Girnar sanctuary yesterday, and for treatment. As per V. G. Rana DCF – Zoo, lioness had problem with her hind legs and hence limping. She will be kept under observation for two days.

In rare incident, forest department officials fished out a 10-ft-long python from a well on the outskirts of Sukhpur village near Dhari in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday. According to officials, the python that weighed 30 kg. "The reptile was rescued after an hour-long operation," said an official, adding that the python was released back into the forest soon after it was taken out from the well.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

An Indian Rock Python accidentally fell into an Open Well in the farm of Jivan Virji Chiroy. The well was 60ft deep with water filled in it. The land is located at Sukhpur village near Dhari in Gir East. The forest rescue team successfully rescued the 8 feet long and around 30 months of age. It was let free into the sanctuary area.

In another incidence another python was caught from a farm land in Nagadhra village of Sarasiya range in Gir East. It was also let free in the jungle.